STEM education is needed for next generation energy workers

According to the Consumer Energy Alliance, STEM Education a must for the next generation of energy workers and a coordinated response is needed to address the education deficit.

The U.S. based organization is calling for businesses, industry groups and universities to work together cohesively to tackle the shortfall in terms of knowledge and experience, in order for the energy sector to innovate and meet efficiency expectations.

This needs to take the form, the group argues, with STEM-focused exhibits and interactive demonstrations. The next opportunity to do so is at Consumer Energy Alliance’s Energy Day Festivals, which will take place in Houston and Denver during October 2018.

The U.S. Consumer Energy Alliance seeks to work with citizens and community leaders to influence energy policies for all consumers through providing information on energy issues. Recent campaigns include highlighting the importance of affordable, reliable energy in the lives of families and businesses and seeking to improve the electric grid to enable an expansion of solar power.

To assist with the new campaign the Consumer Energy Alliance is working with the Consumer Energy Education Foundation. This follows from findings that suggest energy companies will have to hire tens of thousands of workers over the next few years in order to meet demand.

For example, research by Goldman Sachs suggests that the energy sector must hire 80,000 to 100,000 workers to accommodate necessary modifications of U.S. land rigs. Furthermore, as the take up of renewable energy increases, like solar power, new skills will be required to realise the potentials that solar, together with wind, technologies present.

The big weakness is there are insufficient numbers of suitable candidates coming through the U.S. education system to meet the requirement of the energy sector, with shortage sin the science, technology, engineering and mathematics areas.

The aim of the Energy Day Festivals will be to open up the opportunities for students to interact with exhibits so that their interest in STEM and the energy sector can be stimulated. Some of the exhibits will focus on environmental concerns and the role that renewable energy can play in addressing climate change.